A witness on Monday 31st October narrated how the National Health and Insurance Fund (NHIF) lost Ksh1 Billion under the ex-boss.
Testifying before Chief magistrate Victor Wakumile at Milimani Law Courts, Agusta Njue, an expert in Public procurement from the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, told the court how the accused breached procurement of an Integrated Revenue Collection Management System.
The witness said that the accused entered into a contract of unknown value due to future deductible commissions from information on payments relayed to NHIF of Ksh49 million which was also above Ksh30 million as proposed and approved.
The Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), Noordin Haji shared the nitty gritty of the proceedings, in a statement, capturing how the taxpayer lost the cash.
Njue further told the court that the then CEO and senior officials unlawfully extended the contract for the said item even after it had long expired and inappropriately used the single-sourcing method.
Former NHIF boss Simeon Kirgotty was arrested back in 2018 alongside the then head of ICT Gilbert Gathuo and Mr Robert Mureithi, the head of Web Tribe.
The three were ambushed while still in their homes and taken to Muthaiga Police Station, before being charged.
The investigations involved allegations of financial misappropriation by use of the digital payment system.
This struck a raw nerve among Kenyans after it emerged that at least Ksh1.5 billion of taxpayers money disappeared from the national health insurer.
The accused were charged before Anti-corruption court Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti where they denied the allegations and were released on a cash bail of Ksh2 million each.
The other suspects were released on a cash bail of Ksh1 million and others Ksh 300,000.
Ms. Njue is the 6th witness to testify against the former CEO and other accused in the high-profile graft case.
